Second Chances
by sakuraheartz
Summary: From the beginning, she had been attracted to him. Who wasn’t? He was handsome, intelligent, caring, healthy and wealthy. So it had come off as a shock when he had asked her hand in marriage. AU.


**Second Chances**

**Disclaimer: **Isn't it obvious? I don't own Gakuen Alice.

Dedicate to **Yunnie,  
**whom I owe this fic for months. Sorry that you have to wait for so long :p

* * *

"Mama, look at me!"

Yuka Azumi glanced up from the carefully folded napkins in her hands as her five year old daughter, Mikan, ran by dragging an orange Pocahontas kite behind her.

"You're doing great," Yuka hollered and then chuckled as she wedged a tray of roasted chicken and placed it on the picnic table. It was a fine Sunday morning at the Alice Park –perfect for a picnic. She grabbed a stack of clear plastic glasses and set them on the table next to the iced tea. "I think I went a bit overboard," she said nervously. Her best friend, Kaoru was right, when it comes to a certain bluish green eyed lad, she tends to get edgy and tries to impress him whether intentional or not.

Her appearance was a little too perfect for a day at the park, too. Her brown hair was tied back into a messy bun. The gold hoops in her ears shined, and her makeup was flawless. Her emerald-green halter dress matched her green eyes, and her French manicure matched her toenails. Just a little too perfectly put together for a woman who didn't care about the 'date' in the park.

She sighed as she watched her daughter tried to fly the kite again but failing. "She's just like her father," she muttered. Mikan was the exact replica of her father, Yukihara Izumi. Vibrant, cheerful, happy go lucky and pure innocence was best to describe her daughter. It was tragic that Mikan would never get to know him as she gets older.

Yuka remembered when she received the dreaded phone call from the hospital six years ago. The hospital had told her that he was involved in an accident on his way home. She was four months pregnant at that time. She was lost, hurt and depressed at her loss because Izumi was the only 'family' she'd ever known.

Izumi had been there when she was abandoned by her parents, shun away by her friends and was practically an outcast –until he took her in. Despite their age differences, they complemented each other very well. Since he had taught her most of the survival skills for the outside world, she had always called him sensei instead of calling him onii-san. Inevitably, they grew fond of each other and fell in love. It was cliché, she knew that. They had planned to get married once they found out they were going to have a baby but reality kicked in when he died. She knew she would never have the happily ever after that she had been dreaming of with her first love. After that, she kept all of his belongings, all of the memories they made together, all of the pictures stashed away in a box and put it at the corner of her closet where it was hard for her to reach.

During those lonely months of pregnancy, Yuka struggled to find a job to support herself and the baby. There were times when she wanted to give up but as she felt the baby kicking the inside of her stomach, she shed a tear. "I want to give this baby a chance to live," she said. That was when she met Shiki Masachika, a wealthy insurance broker who then offered a work for her to be his assistant.

From the beginning, she had been attracted to him. Who wasn't? He was handsome, intelligent, caring, healthy and wealthy. Two years older than her, Shiki Masachika was "the epitome of every woman's fantasy" –according to what the other women employees said. So it had come off as a shock when he had asked her hand in marriage a year after Yuka had her daughter. He had never given her the impression that he expected anything else. Whenever they met, he was always professional and courteous. She knew that he was there when Mikan was born, he helped her gone through the emotional struggles she had, was there for her first word, her first walk, he was even there when Mikan started to have an imaginary friend and named him "Angel". What's more, he even helps her change Mikan's diaper! And was good at it!

It may have been cruel on her part for she hasn't answered his proposal yet. He told her he'd wait but she knew he won't wait for long. It's been what, five long years since he waited for her answer? Yuka smiled as she felt the breeze blowing softly across her face. She thought that she might not be able to find love again after her first love had died. "But I guess I was wrong."

Yuka opened her eyes as she heard Mikan calling for her name. The five year old walked toward her, dragging her kite behind her. The little girl collapsed on the ground at her mother's feet, the hem of her denim sundress riding up to her polka dots underwear. Clumps of grass were stuck to her clear jelly sandals. "I can't run no more," she gasped.

Ever since Mikan was a child, she had her mother's brunette hair and pale skin to match. "Mikan is her mother's daughter," people often said, meaning her hair and the same effervescent air that both of them possessed which makes it easy for people to talk to her. Except for her dark brown eyes; that was inherited from her late father.

"You did a real good job, precious darling," Yuka praised her daughter.

"What took Shiki so long?" Mikan take the plastic cup on her hand as her mother poured the ice lemon tea onto the cup. She finished the drink in one gulp before she put back the cup on the table and pulled her kite closer.

"I'm here," Shiki appeared behind Yuka and give her a peck on the cheek before he turns his attention to Mikan. Yuka was still mesmerized by the way his silver hair glistened; the sexiness was there in his looks, his body, when he walked, talked or just plain stared at you. She also noticed the dreamy gaze coming from other women staring at them. Either he was oblivious by their stares or he simply ignored it, she didn't know. She had to admit, she was also one of those woman. Who couldn't blame her? He was definitely the most gorgeous man she'd ever encounter.

"Shiki!" Mikan spread her arms to him and the lad picked her up as she gave him a bone crushing hug. "You're late!"

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "But I'm here now right? So we can play all we want. I saw you're trying to fly a kite. How high did you go?"

Mikan giggled as she said excitedly, "It went up the sky! Too bad you've missed it!"

Shiki and Yuka looked at each other and laugh. "Then, let me see you do it," the man let her down so that Mikan can take her kite with her. "We won't go far," he told Yuka and she nods as a reply.

"Be careful!" Yuka shouted at the two as she watched Mikan grabbed his hand and pulled him several feet away. She watched Shiki help Mikan untangle the strings and then held the kite above his head. Yuka felt the gentle pull of the breeze and closed her eyes. "Yes –it's time to move on," she said to herself. She could feel the wind blowing harder and somehow she could feel a familiar embrace coming from her behind –strong and warm and secure. She knew who it was, but it's time to let him go now.

"I'm okay," Yuka said and opened her eyes. "Good bye, Yuki."

"Mommy, look! The kite is flying!" Mikan shouted and watched Shiki held the little girl in his arms, helping her with the kite. Yuka could feel the wind turned into a nice breeze and then the corner of her mouth curled up into a smile as she heard a whisper.

"_Be happy."_

* * *

Yuka watched Shiki tucked Mikan to her bed. 'He will make a great father, indeed,' she thought to herself. She leaned her body to the door and let out a nervous sigh.

"What's wrong?" His voice startled her. She didn't realize that he was standing in front of her until he caressed her cheek gently.

He was looking at her, his expression still impassive. She leaned to his touch and held his free hand in hers. Yuka could have said there's nothing wrong with her but that would be totally a lie.

"Five years ago, you asked me to marry you," she paused, looking straight to his eyes. "Is the offer still on?"

His eyes widened and then softened as he continued to caress her face. "It still is. I will wait for you even if it takes forever." He smiled before he pulled her in for a warm embrace and she pressed tightly into his arms.

* * *

"We need a bigger closet," Yuka muttered, as she pulled things off shelves and tossed old clothes aside to make room for Shiki's things.

Shiki grinned. They'd have been married for all of a week, and she was determined his clothes should hang next to hers. "I'm sure it will be fine," he said and knelt beside a box she'd taken from the corner of the closet. He opened it, expecting something ordinary like maybe a hundred socks with holes or Mikan's baby clothes. He found pictures instead. More than a dozen. All sizes; some framed, some in old cardboard folders. He picked out one of the picture and said, "This is Izumi, right?" An odd shaft of pain came and went his heart. This was the man who was Yuka's first lover and the father of her child. Then he reminds herself, that he was her husband now.

Yuka turned, then dropped the handful of shirts she'd been holding and knelt beside him. "Wow," she said softly. "I'd forgotten these were even here." She rubbed the dust off one, grinning as she tilted it to the light.

"I never thought of it before, but you don't have any pictures of him anywhere, do you?

Yuka laid the picture back to the box and smiled. "They used to be everywhere," she said. "But after he died…" She shrugged. "I missed him so much, but there was Mikan. I couldn't grieve and raise our child. One day I just put them away. After a while I forget they were there."

Shiki frowned. "Has Mikan seen these?"

A strange look crossed her face. "Well, I don't know." She looked embarrassed. "That sounds awful, doesn't it?

Shiki shrugged. "Has she ever asked about him, like what he looked like?"

Yuka shook her head. "Hardly ever. Maybe because she's still so little. But then, it stopped after you've entered her life." Then she added, "Thank you."

Shiki smiled as his reply and kissed the top of her head.

"Mama?" Mikan rubbed her eyes as she trotted sleepily towards her mother's arms.

"Had a good night sleep?" Yuka asked her as Mikan nodded as her reply and snuggled closer to her mother.

"Morning, Pandas," Shiki said referring to the PJs Mikan was wearing and patted her head gently. When Shiki and Yuka told the toddler that the lad was going to be her new father, Mikan has been ecstatic. "I've got a new father." She would tell everyone.

"Morning Papa," she shifted and hugged Shiki. Then Mikan turned her attention to the box lying on the floor. "What's in there?" she asked.

"Why don't you go and check it out?" Yuka said and pushed the box closer to her. Mikan dropped to her knees and peered into the box. The couple watched, curious as to what her reaction might be. But neither she nor Shiki was prepared for what came. Mikan rocked on her heels; her eyes alight with joy as she held a picture aloft.

"Look!" she cried, waving it in the air. "Look at this, Mama, it's him! It's him!'

"What is it?" Yuka asked and took the picture out of Mikan's hand. Even now, after all the years that had gone by and the love she felt for Shiki, she felt sorrow that her first love had died so soon. It was Izumi, dressed up as an angel during Christmas several months before he had died.

"It's him!" Mikan cried, and tugged at her hand until Yuka gave her the picture. "It's Angel!"

"Angel? Your imaginary friend?" Yuka asked again.

"I told you Angel was real," Mikan cried. "Now do you believe me?"

The couple knew Angel had been Mikan's imaginary friend since she was two but he "disappeared" after Yuka and Shiki got married. According to Mikan, the 'Angel' said that they were now a family and all of them are happy. It's time for him to move on.

Yuka was shaken to the core. Shiki then sat on the bed beside him. "Izumi must have protected you two even after he left. It all makes an odd sort of sense now, doesn't it? "

She stared at the picture until the face began to blur. Then she looked at Mikan –at the expectation on her face."Yes, baby. I believe you."

"Yeah!" Mikan shrieked, and then grabbed her mother's hand asking for breakfast.

Shiki watched mother and daughter walked out of the room. Instantly, he smelt something sweet – it was the scent of the fruity bubblegum Mikan love to buy. The smell of Howalon. In that moment, he knew. He wouldn't look. Couldn't look, although he felt no fear. The communication was instant. He'd heard in his heart all he needed to know. "I hear you," he whispered. "Yes, I'll keep them both safe, I can promise you that."

And then, he was startled when Mikan called out for his name and grabbed him by the hand like what she did to her mother and out of the room.

A transparent figure made his appearance known and then he smiled. 'It time for me to go home,' he said. He'd popped a lollipop into his mouth and left the place –not because he'd been replaced, but because there was no longer a need.

**…the end…**

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This fic has been on my "fic-to-do" lists for a while now but I managed to finish this fic in 2 days! WO-HOO!  
Please review. I would mean a lot to me.


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